GMOA wants govt. consultants to serve private hospitals

March 14, 2013, 8:02 pm

By Don Asoka Wijewardena

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has decided to propose to the government that it introduce a mechanism to utilize the services of Sri Lankan consultants between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in private hospitals if they have earned leave. Generally, more than 90 per cent of the doctors, attached to government hospitals, had been seeing patients in private hospitals after normal working hours.

The GMOA was of the view that the doctors who had earned leave could be released to the private sector hospitals between 8.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Instead of bringing foreign doctors, a quality medical service could be provided, it said.

GMOA Media spokesman Dr. Navin de Zoysa told The Island that the GMOA, after comprehensive discussions with its members had decided to streamline the medical services provided by the private hospitals because many of them had been opened in every nook and corner of the country. But 90 per cent of their doctors belonged to the government sector and they were visit those private hospitals. As their services were not available between 8:00 a.m.and 4.00 p.m., the private hospitals had no alternative but to seek the services of foreign doctors, especially Indian doctors.

He pointed out that the primary objective of the GMOA’s new move was to retain the services of Lankan consultants. "What the GMOA proposes to the government is to introduce a mechanism to release government consultants to the private hospitals between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. so that a great deal of money could be saved and a quality medical service could be expected," Dr. de Zoysa stressed.